Laminated

Holy shit. When I first checked out the cover art on this CD I thought I was in for something really horrible. It just didn’t appeal to my eyes I guess, and that made Intronaut’s debut EP, Null, look like something I wouldn’t really care for. But you can’t judge a book by its cover, so I listened to this CD over and over again and was simply amazed by how dynamic it is for just a 5-song EP that was originally recorded just for a couple hundred CD-Rs. This release is definitely a great way to start off a career as a band.

So what’s it like? Well, the intro track starts off with one note that gradually becomes higher and higher, and then the first real song explodes out of your speakers. The guitarwork is very tricky, blending heaviness with lots of melody and some extremely catchy metal riffs. Afterall, Intronaut are a metal band. There’s no question about that. The guitarists write original sounding music and they do a damn good job at it. You’ll find yourself getting drawn into a lot of the great riffs that guitarists Sacha Dunable and Leon Del Muerte write. I can’t really think of anything else to say about the guitars.

The screams are really raw and are very well-placed throughout the whole CD, not overdoing it like a lot of bands in this particular genre of music.

The rhythm section of this band is extremely tight. The drummer, Danny Walker, is an ace behind the kit. The bassist, Joe Lester, is apparently a jazz/funk bassist, and it really shows on the songs here. His addition to the band is crucial, throwing in some really jazzy riffs all over the place to spice things up on Null.

Overall, this is just an amazing metal EP. I’m in love with it. I am about to put it on my iPod right now, actually. The mix of heavy and slow, ambient type stuff is just great. It’s refreshing to hear bands like this every once in a while. Goodfellow Records has done it again.